Don't ever hesitate to ASK the grocery store manager/waiter/etc. where their fish comes from! Most of the time they are more than happy to tell you how their fish is caught/farmed and where they buy it.

However, do keep in mind that not all aquacultured fish is inherently "bad" or raised using unhealthy processes. When done by responsible fish farmers, aquaculture is a critical resource to supplement the fish supply and avoid overfishing of the oceans. US aquaculture is tightly regulated and farm-raised fish in some cases are safer than their wild counterparts, particularly for apex predators (those that eat at higher levels of the food chain) because it helps eliminate the accumulation of toxins.

I agree with MPLANE37. There is no way to be certain that the labeling is entirely truthful. I recommend checking out the "Levels of contamination" section over here on wikipedia and informing yourself with some general guidelines.

This is very tricky. Even if the labels claim pretty safe fish, they may be not so safe. In general the most beneficial (omega-3s) as well as safest fish are the small cold water fish, like sardines. They can't be farmed, and they can't get contaminated as much as the bigger cold water fish.

I agree. Also go somewhere you trust. In ohio, we have a large fish market and the fish are definitely labeled farm or fresh. i only eat from the pacific ocean as it is cleaner than the atlantic especially with all the oil spills. i also don't eat bottom feeders such as shell fish or catfish.

Yojule, Thanks. I appreciate \the info. Also, what bothers me about some imported farm fish is the feed,(if that is what you want to call it) they use in their fish ponds. I understand it is the waste from hog farms that is dumped in to feed the fish. So aside from the obvious reaction to pig waste, I also worry about all the chemicals that will go into the fish.

I've found that the packages will also list whether it's farm-raised or wild-caught. You can always also ask for specifics at the fish counter at your store. If they don't know, don't buy it. Also if it seems pretty cheap, it's most likely farm-raised. Wild caught is generally significantly more expensive... I rarely see wild-caught salmon for less than $10/lb here in Colorado.

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